


Changelings are just big Cats

by Pikuna



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Interspecies Romance, Purring Changelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-24 14:48:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9766166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikuna/pseuds/Pikuna
Summary: Barbara discovers that Changelings are indeed capable of purring and wonders, if this also applies to Stricklander. He is not very amused by this idea.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a post by darkland-dog about the headcanon that Changelings can purr.  
> I totally support this idea and so I came up with this little drabble, that I also used to introduce my [Changeling character Jean.](http://pikuna.tumblr.com/post/157409967812/name-jeanne-or-just-jean-age-over-220-teenage)  
> Took me a bit longer than I thought for me to finish, but I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Little side note: This occurs some time after Stricklander has redeemed himself. Just feel like pointing out.

It was a quiet late Monday afternoon in the Lake household. Jim and his friends were out doing usual teenage activities - at least that's what they had planned - and Barbara had the rest of the day off. 

She and Stricklander had enjoyed the peace, sitting close together on the couch and watching a documentation. But the peace had been disturbed when Jean, Stricklander's inside-man in the Janus Order, had suddenly appeared right beside Barbara on the armrest of the couch. Even when it was a most annoying habit of her, Stricklander had to give the young Changeling credit for being so sneaky. He just wished she would be silent like this all the time.

While he was reading through the reports she had brought him, Jean was babbling a lot of muddleheaded stuff. At least it sounded like that for him since he wasn't giving much attention to it. But when the flood of words suddenly stopped, Stricklander had to look up and was surprised to see that the silence was Barbara's doing.

She had started to scratch Jean under her chin, which caused the Changeling to purr and wiggle with her tail.

"Oh my god, Walt! She really behaves like a cat," Barbara said in such a delighted tone that Stricklander had to hum in amusement. 

"Well, I don't call her stray cat for no reason after all," he said and couldn't help but chuckle when Jean leant closer to Barbara, so she could know scratch her behind the ears. He was almost worried the young Changeling would tilt over from her crouching position on the armrest, but she was able to keep her balance. 

"Is this, because she is so...feline? Or is it a normal thing for Changelings?" Barbara asked him without taking her eyes from Jean, who really looked adorable in this purring state of bliss. 

Stricklander snorted at this question and focused his attention back to the papers. "Hardly. I have never seen or heard a case of a Changeling acting like a house-cat as Jeanne does. We aren't known for such docile behavior."

"But you don't know for sure, right?" He didn't like the way in which Barbara had said those words. His forehead turned into a frown, when he glanced to her and saw the curious glint in her eyes, which were now directed at him. 

"Don't even think about it Barbara," he warned her in a firm tone, without getting threatening.

But Barbara didn't let this impress her. With a cheeky grin she wriggled her fingers at Stricklander. He was about to lean away, when Jean started to giggle.

"That's wasted energy Doc. The only thing that this old avocado can do is being grumpy and growl."

"What was that?" Stricklander snarled and bared his fangs at her. She would have taken cover, if the human woman hadn't sat between them. 

"See? I told you," Jean said with a wide grin, but it dropped, like her ears, when she saw Barbara's disapproving expression.

Muttering in annoyance she blew up her cheeks. "Oh, it's no fun when you are both against me."  With a back somersault she jumped from the couch and walked towards the window. 

"Don't stay away from the Janus Order for too long. I'm afraid they are getting suspicious about your frequent trips to Arcadia," Stricklander called after her. Sighing, but still smiling Jean turned her head around. 

"I won't, old grump. Scout's honor." She even wiggled her little finger in the pinky promise gesture, which made him roll his eyes. Barbara chuckled at this display.

After Jean hopped on the windowsill she turned to the pair again and waved to Barbara.

"Thanks for the scratch Doc."

"Anytime kiddo," she returned with a smile. The Changeling girl giggled and then jumped out into the shadows of the garden.

With an amused sigh Barbara leant back and looked at Stricklander, who was absorbed into the papers again. 

"I know you two have your own way of showing that you care for each other. But sometimes you really could say Thank you to her."

"That would go into her head too easily," he retorted. "Besides, that way she never would learn to show at least a bit of respect to her superiors."

Barbara shook her head, but didn't comment any further. Instead she snuggled against Stricklander's side, her attention back to the TV. Just a few seconds later he laid his arm around her shoulder and started to stroke her gently.

 

* * *

 

_Later that evening_

It had become the norm for Stricklander to talk about the history of Humans, Trolls and Changelings in the evening, when they were laying in Barbara's bed.

At first he had been surprised by Barbara's curiosity, after all she wasn't directly involved in the business of the magical world. However she had explained that she not only wanted to know what Jim had to deal with, but she also wanted to understand Stricklander better, wanted to know what he had seen and what had shaped him. He had been very touched by her eagerness not only to learn more about magical world, but also about him. So of course he happily obliged and told her about the history of the different races, how they were all connected and what he had experienced in his long life.

Barbara was a good listener, always attentive and only interrupted when she had a question. Stricklander enjoyed this immensely. 

What he even more enjoyed was when Barbara had started to trace the markings on his arm with her fingers in innocent curiosity. The sensation always made him shiver and growl in contentment. Stricklander never had been used to such gentle touches and he already had the feeling he wouldn't get tired of it so soon. To his utter delight Barbara had realized very quickly how much he liked this treatment and had gone on with it. 

She would now trace all the lines along his arms, chest and other body parts. Sometimes more scratching, sometimes applying more pressure on certain spots that would not only make his sounds more indecent, but also the place his thoughts and actions wandered. Barbara didn't mind this at all and so it has become a little game between them, where she tried to distract him from his history lesson until he would direct his whole attention at her. 

As was now the case.

Stricklander had nearly been at the end of his lecture about the french revolution and how the Changelings, especially him, had taken part in it, when Barbara started her caressing. At first only simple stroking over his upper arm, which was already enough make him stammer slightly, coaxing low growls from him that made Barbara shiver. He thought he had enough control to finish this lecture, but Stricklander had underestimated her mischievousness. Barbara's fingers wandered from his arm, over his shoulder to his chin where she started to scratch him, just as she had done before with Jean.

And just as she had expected - or hoped - he started to purr, albeit in a far deeper tone than the young Changeling had. He even raised his had, so she had better access on his chin and she let out a gasp of delight at this cute discovery. Unfortunately that jolted Stricklander out of his blissful state and he leant out of her hand's reach. 

"Barbara," he said in a whiny-voiced tone and almost looked agonized in an adorable way. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, come on Walt. It's nothing bad," she tried to pacify Stricklander and wanted to reach for him again, but he leant away even more. 

"It's undignified!"

"It's endearing!"

Stricklander was now leaning so far away that he was on the verge of falling from the bed. But Barbara quickly grabbed him on his arm and pulled him back into a straight sitting position. Since it was obvious that Stricklander didn't thought that this situation was in any kind funny she laid her folded hands in her lap, as a sign of peace. Maybe he acted like this because of a personal preference? Or was it actually a Changeling thing that he hadn't wanted to explain more before?

"Look, Walt," she sighed and fumbled with her hands, while she tried to apologize. "If I made you feel uncomfortable, I'm very sorry. I was just...just joking around." Stricklander watched her, how she chewed on her lower lip and didn't meet his eyes. He felt bad for his rather childish reaction and rubbed his neck nervously.

"It's not...that...," he mumbled. At that Barbara glanced up at him and frowned in confusion.

"Then what is it?"

Stricklander set his jaw and tried to find a way to explain himself. "I told you that we Changelings normally don't behave like cats. It's so...." He stopped mid-sentence, since he didn't know how to phrase it. Barbara was surprised to see the usually so eloquent Stricklander at loss for words, so she provided him some with a grin.

"Harmless? Cute? Embarrassing?"

When he had thought about the suiting words, Stricklander and looked up to the ceiling. Now he looked back at her, surprise clearly in his face. "That...actually sums it up quit well."

Barbara hummed pleased and then looked insistently at him. "But do you like it?"

At first he looked to the right and left, as if to find an answer that was different from the truth. In the end he made a few grumbling noises that sound like a yes.

"Then I don't see where the problem is." she said with a shrug.

The Changeling was about to protest, to reply that there was indeed a problem. But before he could, Barbara had taken his hands in hers and looked at him with an earnest expression. "Walt, you are the most dignified and elegant man I ever knew. And making those...purring sounds doesn't change that in any way, it only adds something." She had started to stroke circles over the back of his hands, which was very soothing for his nerves. "Besides, I really like them," she added with a tempting smile on her lips. 

Stricklander's eyes went wide at those words and he blinked in astonishment at Barbara. After a few seconds he was able to regain his composure and cleared his throat before he talked.

"Ah well. In that case...I _might_  do an exception. A little secret between us perhaps?"

"Of course. It's not like I would have scratched you in front of Jim and his friends. Or tell Jean anything about it." she said with a smirk and Stricklander only ducked his head in a bashful manner.

They both chuckled, he more in a nervous way, and then Barbara reached out for him. Gently she stroke her fingers under his chin, ready to retreat if he didn't want this right now. But Stricklander turned his head into her direction and raised his chin a bit to encourage her and Barbara went on with caressing him right away. Even if he had wanted, he wouldn't be able to hold back the blissful, deep purr that she was able to elicit from him.

Stricklander wasn't used to let himself go like this. He always had needed to appear strong, proud and dignified to both enemies and allies. Showing such signs of weakness could have meant the loss of respect or even death. But when he looked with half closed eyes at Barbara, how she gently smiled and obviously liked this as much as him...he knew he was safe, was allowed to enjoy this without bad consequences.

Oh, and how he enjoyed this.

Especially when Barbara apparently found his favorite spot between his horns. 

**Author's Note:**

> Why are Stricklander and Barbara always in the bed when I write fluff drabbles? xD


End file.
